Roaches have been around for 300 million years, and while it would be nice to annihilate the entire roach population, it’s never going to happen. The best that you can do is use a roach killer and treat your own home or space. If you have pets, choose a pet safe roach killer that will not poison your pet in the process.
Pet safe roach killers can include traps, and we’ll discuss a few types of roach killers to avoid down below.
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Our Top Pet Safe Roach Killer: Harris Boric Acid
Harris’ Boric Acid comes in a 16-ounce bottle and kills a variety of pests from roaches to silverfish and palmetto bugs. The puffer bottle makes it easy to apply boric acid, and a lure has been put into the product to attract roaches.
- EPA registered for use around pets
- Long-lasting and highly effective
- Kills a variety of insects
Types of Roach Killers to Avoid
If you have pets, you’ll want to avoid these two main roach killers:
- Sprays. Sprays can be harmful when inhaled, and these products should be kept at least 18 inches away from yourself when spraying. The idea is to coat surfaces with sprays. The spray can damage an animal’s eyes, and it can severely harm an animal if sprayed directly on the animal. Make sure to avoid sprays if you have pets. Even if you spray away from the animal, the spray is meant to dry on surfaces and act as a roach killer. Your animal may lick their paws and ingest the spray in the process.
- Foggers. An intense form of roach elimination, foggers are very potent and should never be used in a closed space that you cannot escape. These potent products will spray insecticide from the center of the room and should be left for 4+ hours to settle. Afterward, you’ll want to open the windows and doors to air out the space. Your animals should be removed from the home when using a fogger.
- Bait Stations. A lot of bait stations are fine, and while they may be safe for pets, a lot of manufacturers never make these claims. The problem is that the station contains a lot of bait, so if an animal were to get into the station, it may become sick. If you plan on placing the bait station out around animals, make sure that it is well hidden and not able to be accessed. You can place these stations in between the wall and refrigerator or even under furniture where animals will not be able to reach.
Since these two types of products are a no-go, what products work well with pets and roaches? You will find that natural baits and even glue traps will work well to keep your pets safe. The glue trap can get attached to your pet, but you can often remove the trap with a bit of vegetable oil.
It’s important that if you have lizards or smaller pets that you keep them away from a glue trap or bait station.
Even if you hire an exterminator, the spray can have a long-term impact on your pets. Discuss your concerns with the exterminator so that you can ensure that your pet remains safe and healthy.
5 Best Pet Safe Roach Killer Reviews
1. Harris Boric Acid
Harris’ Boric Acid is long-lasting and comes with EPA approval for use around pets and children. The acid is applied to surfaces where pests have been known to traverse or live. Since it’s a fine powder, it can easily be placed in cracks and crevices.
A food-grade lure has been added to the recipe to attract roaches and keep them coming back for more of the bait.
After coming in contact with the powder, the roaches will die in 72 hours. The way that this works is that the roaches will get the acid on their legs and will bring it back to their nest. Other roaches may die, too.
The roaches will consume the acid which will cause them to dehydrate and eventually die. The digestive system will be damaged allowing for the roaches to die. It’s best to place this acid in key areas like behind the refrigerator, in cabinets or in any area that you have found signs of roaches.
Make sure to keep the power dry for best results.
- Starts killing roaches in 72 hours
- Easy to apply
- Lasts a long time so long as the powder remains dry
- Not 100% safe
The EPA claims that Harris Boric Acid is safe for animals and kids, and it is, but there is still some risk. Your pet can become sick if they ingest massive amounts of this product. Under normal conditions, consuming some boric acid will not hurt an animal or human.
A healthy cat would be fine consuming even moderate amounts of this product.
Animals that are older or already sick may or may not be impacted by the product. These sickly animals are best kept away from any insecticide.
Otherwise, Harris offers one of the best pet safe roach killers on the market today. It’s safe, effective and easy to apply.
2. Harris Diatomaceous Earth
Harris also offers the second product on this list, and it’s food grade Diatomaceous Earth. If you don’t know about DE, it’s an all-natural product that can be consumed by humans and pets, but it contains sharp little particles that will rip open the inside of pests.
Roaches will not stand a chance when they come in contact with DE.
A powder duster has been included, so all you have to do is dust the DE around your home and wait for it to work its magic. Since it’s so small in size, you never have to worry about animals getting sick.
No additives are included, and the product is 100% organic.
When you choose to purchase Harris products, you’re also giving back with 10% of the proceeds donated to the Humane Society. The real benefit to this form of DE over other forms is that the duster is rather advanced.
The duster comes with a flexible body and an applicator extender so that you can dust those hard-to-reach places where traps and baits cannot reach. If you’ve seen entryways for roaches, the duster will allow you to apply the DE into these cracks and crevices to kill roaches that are coming out to feed.
A fine tip nozzle has also been included.
- 100% pet and human safe
- Duster allows for application everywhere
- Comes with no fillers or additives
- Can be quite messy
When you use any of these fine powder products, you can expect to have a mess. These products aren’t discreet like a trap or bait station. You’ll be powdering your floor or space. But the product works well for killing roaches and can easily be vacuumed.
Aside from this minor complaint, reapply the DE as needed and give it some time to work.
3. Greener Mindset Roach Traps
Greener Mindset comes with a 12-pack glue trap, and these traps are 100% eco-friendly and non-toxic. Since the traps contain no chemicals, you do not have to worry about your pet getting sick after coming in contact with the trap.
But the trap can get stuck to the pet due to the sticky adhesive that is designed to trap roaches.
The good news is that a little oil will be able to remove the trap from your pet.
All-natural, place these traps in key areas where you’ve seen roaches or you know where they like to gather. These areas are best for all traps, and they will allow your roaches to walk on the trap and get stuck.
All insects that decide to step on the trap will be stuck in place and eventually die. Roaches are very resilient, so even if they’re stuck, they can live for days and sometimes weeks without food or water.
This is the only downside to glue traps because you’ll often come into the room with a trapped roach still trying to squirm free.
Fold these traps slightly to place them in hard-to-reach area or between the refrigerator. When done, fold the trap and discard it. The traps are rated to last up to three months, and check them often to make sure that they’re working for you.
- Last for up to three months
- Catches a variety of pests
- Not harmful to animals
- Unsightly
The only downside to a glue roach trap is that you have to witness the roach’s slow death. Glue will only keep the roach in place, and they will die from starvation and dehydration rather than a pesticide.
If you place the traps often, you’ll be able to catch and kill roaches.
4. Harris Liquid Spray
Harris’ liquid spray is meant to be a 12-month, extended use spray that is entirely odorless and does not cause staining. The EPA says that the spray is safe to use in homes with kids and pets, but you’ll want to make sure that you follow the directions to provide the utmost safety.
The spray will begin killing once it’s completely dry.
The product comes in a 1-gallon or 32-ounce container. A gallon is recommended for larger infestations and for on-going treatment. The company includes an extended trigger sprayer that allows you to get deep into roach hiding areas where other roach killers cannot reach.
A lot of consumers have used this product for years, and it works very well.
Keep in mind that while it is safe for pets, you do not want to spray the animal or their food with this product.
When spraying, spray along the baseboards. The baseboards are where roaches tend to scatter, and people have had years of success spraying around the baseboards in their home. If roaches do not come out of hiding, they’ll skitter across the baseboard and come in contact with the spray.
You can also use this product as a direct spray if you like.
- Large size allows for yearly protection
- Odorless so don’t have to worry about harsh smells
- Does not cause staining
- Sprayer sometimes breaks
The only real issue with this product is that on occasion, the nozzle will break. If the nozzle breaks, you’ll have to find a replacement or simply replace the product.
While safe to use around pets, you’ll always want to be cautious of where you spray to keep your pets safe. The product may not be immediately harmful to animals, but over time or in large quantities, it may be deadly.
5. EcoSMART Home Pest Control
EcoSMART offers a spray that is actually safe for pets, and this is quite rare since most sprays are harmful. This spray comes in a one-bottle and three-bottle pack, and all you have to do is shake it up to get it ready to use.
The spray is non-staining, and it has been shown to kill roaches and repel over 100 insects.
A great product to keep in any home, this product is 100% organic and contains natural plant oils, such as:
- Peppermint oil
- Clove oil
Offering a great smell, this product is natural, so if your pet comes in contact with it, they’ll be fine. The product will not harm wood or fabrics, and it will not contaminate ground water either. The product works great, but you’ll need to reapply often especially if water comes in contact with the spray.
The entire bottle has enough product to cover an area of 140 square feet.
You can also buy a massive 64-ounce bottle that comes with its own built-in hose and sprayer to provide enough product for 500 square feet. EcoSMART is the first company in the world to offer these organic sprays, and the patented blend cannot be found anywhere else.
The product works by interrupting the Octopamine receptor so that the roaches are neurologically impacted.
- 100% organic
- Doesn’t stain
- Provides a nice aroma
- Covers a large radius
- Takes longer to work than poisons
The one downside to this product, as is the case with many natural products, is that it takes some time to work. You’ll have to make sure that you continue reapplying the spray as needed and be very generous with your application.
It works very well on roaches, and some users claim that when sprayed directly on roaches, they will die within minutes.